Today I stumbled on a tool called Anti-KeyLogger Tester (AKLT) which is used to test the efficiency of anti-keylogger software. Most trojans includes keylogging functionalities that can steal confidential information you are typing and also capture screenshot of your desktop. To fight this threat, there are anti-keyloggers software which claims to detect and disable keyloggers found on your computer. However, there is also many ways to monitor the keyboard and AKLT covers 7 keylogging and 2 screenshot taking methods.

Out of curiosity, I’ve decided to put some anti keyloggers to the test to see how safe can we be if we have them on our computer. Moreover, a lot of anti keylogger software are shareware and it’s important to test which is the best so you won’t be wasting your money on security software that doesn’t work well.

I will be testing the anti keyloggers with an anti keylogger tester (AKLT) developed by Firewall Leak Tester and also 5 other firewall bypass, reverse connection trojans which is commonly used by many hackers.

1. AKLT (Anti Keylogger Tester)
2. Bifrost (Trojan)
3. Nuclear RAT (Trojan)
4. Bandook (Trojan)
5. Poison Ivy (Trojan)
6. sharK (Trojan)

The anti keyloggers that will be put to the test are:

1. [FireLion] Anti Keyloggers. Price: US$ 89.99.

AKLT – All keylogging BLOCKED. Screenshot 2 test ALLOWED.
Bifrost – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Nuclear RAT – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Bandook – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Poison Ivy – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
sharK – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.

Note: It seems like [FireLion] Anti Keyloggers is built for passing blocking all AKLT tests. However, when tested it on trojans, it is useless. This confirms that there are more keylogging and screen capture methods than what AKLT has.

2. Anti-Keylogger Elite. Price: US$ 39.95.

AKLT – 3 out of 7 Keylogging and Screenshot 1 ALLOWED.
Bifrost – Screen capture and keylogging DETECTED and can be blocked.
Nuclear RAT – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Bandook – Keylogging BLOCKED and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Poison Ivy – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
sharK – Screen capture detected but looks legitimate. Keylogger detected and can be blocked.

Note: Anti-Keylogger Elite is able to give you 50% chance of protecting your computer against screen capture and keylogger. Not the best nor the worst.

3. I Hate Keyloggers. Price: $US 30.

I hate keyloggers

AKLT – 1 out of 7 Keylogging and Screenshot ALLOWED.
Bifrost – Keylogging BLOCKED. Screen capture ALLOWED.
Nuclear RAT – Keylogging BLOCKED. Screen capture ALLOWED.
Bandook – Keylogging BLOCKED. Screen capture ALLOWED.
Poison Ivy – Keylogging BLOCKED. Screen capture ALLOWED.
sharK – Keylogging BLOCKED. Screen capture ALLOWED.

Note: I Hate Keyloggers seems to be a very powerful anti keylogger software which is able to block all keylogs but it won’t detect if there’s any installed. It also doesn’t protect against screen capture.

4. PrivacyKeyboard. Price: US$ 119.95.

PrivacyKeyboard

AKLT – All Keylogging and Screen capture BLOCKED.
Bifrost – Keylogging ALLOWED. Screen capture BLOCKED.
Nuclear RAT – Keylogging and Screen capture BLOCKED.
Bandook – Keylogging and Screen capture BLOCKED.
Poison Ivy – Keylogging and Screen capture BLOCKED.
sharK – Keylogging and Screen capture BLOCKED.

Note: PrivacyKeyboard is able to block all screen capture and keylogging methods except Bifrost keylogger. The best and also most expensive. It also includes a virtual on screen keyboard which is the safest way to prevent your information from being logged.

5. Artificial Dynamics SafeSpace. Price: FREE.

AKLT – All Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Bifrost – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Nuclear RAT – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Bandook – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Poison Ivy – Keylogging BLOCKED. Screen capture ALLOWED.
sharK – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.

Note: SafeSpace is used by many people and it has an option to block keyloggers which in my opinion doesn’t work really well. It is only able to block Poison Ivy’s keylogging method. Well, it’s free…

6. Elite Anti Keylogger. Price: US$ 99.

AKLT – 3 out of 7 Keylogging ALLOWED and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Bifrost – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Nuclear RAT – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Bandook – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Poison Ivy – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
sharK – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.

Note: I have to set the security level of this software to the highest and it can only block 4 out of 7 keylogging methods from AKLT. As for Trojans, it didn’t even block the screen capture and keylogging. It’s a BIG rip off to pay $99 for this software.

7. DefenseWall HIPS. Price: US$ 29.95.

DefenseWall HIPS

AKLT – All Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Bifrost – Keylogging and Screen capture BLOCKED.
Nuclear RAT – Keylogging and Screen capture BLOCKED.
Bandook – Keylogging BLOCKED. Screen capture ALLOWED.
Poison Ivy – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
sharK – Keylogging and Screen capture BLOCKED.

Note: Only Poison Ivy was able to get through it’s keylogging and screen capture protection. As for AKLT, I believe it was smart enough to detect that it’s not a threat, so it did not block it. HIPS offers protection against adware, spyware, keyloggers and rootkits. So it’s worth paying US$ 29.95 for all that protection.

8. GeSWall. Price: FREE

AKLT – All Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
Bifrost – Keylogging BLOCKED. Screen capture ALLOWED.
Nuclear RAT – Keylogging BLOCKED. Screen capture ALLOWED.
Bandook – Keylogging BLOCKED. Screen capture ALLOWED.
Poison Ivy – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.
sharK – Keylogging and Screen capture ALLOWED.

Note: Quite similar to DefenseWall but not as good. I can’t even terminate isolated applications with the free version.

There are many other security software that is able to detect and block keyloggers but I can only go this far as I’ve spent hours on this article. I’d say that the best anti keylogger and anti screen capture software is PrivacyKeyboard. If I don’t have the budget to spend US$ 119.95 on PrivacyKeyboard, DefenseWall HIPS at the price of US$ 29.95 would be my second choice.

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